American Vampire #12 Review

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For the past 12 months American Vampire has been one of the best books out there. Consistently scoring high with reviewers and gaining plaudits for creator/writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque. All well deserved. Albuquerque has taken time off from the internal art for the past few issues, providing only the cover art, while they gear up for the next arc. The art this issue is provided by Danijel Zezelj and his style fits the overall feel of the book well, as have all of the artists chosen to fill in for Albuquerque. This issue is a nice little stand alone story featuring Skinner Sweet, the original American Vampire. He is attending the performance of a traveling show that happens to be about him and how he was captured by Jim Book. Sweet knows the guy in charge and takes exception with how his story is being portrayed. He provides his own version of the narrative alongside Colonel Seldom French as he introduces famous faces from the time of the frontier, Sweet's version is much more entertaining. Sweet has had his fill of the show when Frenchie announces one last relic from the past, famed prostitute and lover of Skinner Sweet, Kitty Banks. Until he hears she is the one responsible for turning him over to Jim Book.

Obviously this peaks Sweet's interest and pisses him off a teensy bit, enough to rip the head offa the actor playing him and fill the guns with real bullets. One little introduction and the maiming of Frenchie later and all hell breaks loose. Sweet leaves the little people to duke it out and goes to confront Kitty, in her drug induced haze she thinks he is a dream and freely admits to turning him in. Just as his is about to get his payback she tells him why, she did it for him, so he could go out in the blaze of glory he always wanted. Kitty just wasn't expecting Book to show up and take him out, she could see the end of the wild west that Sweet knew was coming and she wanted to save him from it. Sweet excepts her explanation and allows her to live, he even offers to turn her but thinking she is still dreaming she declines. He leaves as she walks back into her wagon which is about to be engulfed in flames. Sweet hops a plane to California where the American Vampire story started 12 issues ago. 

It's a nice move by Scott Snyder bringing the whole thing full circle for the 12th issue, I was afraid this issue would be more of a filler leading into the epic World War II arc that starts next month but it was much more than that. The story stands up well on it's own and it's cool to have that little piece of how Skinner Sweet ended up in LA meeting Pearl filled in. The dueling narratives of Seldom French and Sweet works really well, their differing accounts of how the players and the events played out are very entertaining. The art is great again this issue, whoever chose the artists to fill in while Albuquerque was away did a fantastic job and even with the break in artists the feel of the book is never fragmented at all. As good as the issue was I can't help but look past it to the next arc, whatever Snyder has planned for his American Vampires during WWII, I'm in. 

Writer - Scott Snyder
Artist - Danijel Zezelj
Colors - Dave McCaig
Letters - Steve Wands
Cover - Rafael Albuquerque
Publisher - Vertigo Comics